Feather-renovator



(No Model.)

J. W. BINGAMAN.

FEATHER. RENOVATOR. v

Patented Jun 6, 1882.

l l l WITNESSES.

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UNITED STATES P TENT. OFFICE.

JOHN W. BINGAMAN, OF ABERDEEN, OHIO.

FEATHER-RENOVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 258,979, dated June 6,1882.

Application filed February 3, 18852. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VVQBINGAMAN, of the town of Aberdeen, county of Brown, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Renovating Feathers, &c., of which the following is a specification;

The object of my said invention is to produce an apparatus for renovating feathers, &c.,

in which the steaming of one lot and the drying of another shall be simultaneous. This is accomplished by the use of a sliding partition which divides the chamber into two portions, one of which is subjected to steam heat and the other of which receives the steam itself, as will hereinafter be more specifically explained.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section thereof on the dotted line w as; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the steam ing-chamber, looking downwardly from the dotted line y 1 and Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section,looking to the right from the dotted line 2 a.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the boiler used with my improved apparatus; B, a steam-pipe leading therefrom; G, a steam box or space occupying the bottom of the chamber; D, a pipe leading therefrom; E E, perforated pipes connected with the pipe D; F, a sliding partition dividing the structure into two portions or chambers; G H, said chambers, and I J K doors thereto.

The boiler A may be of any approved form wherein steam can be generated. As high pressure is not desired, it may be of sheet metal. For a similar reason an open funnel, A, may be used to introduce water into said boiler, the lower end of the funnel extending down considerably below the surface of the water in the boiler, so that steam will be prevented from escaping through it. The usual fire-place and smoke-stack are of course provided.

The pipe Bis simply an ordinary steam-pipe for'conveying the steam from the boiler to the renovator proper.

The steam-space U is preferably arectangular sheet-metal box extending entirely over the bottom of the renovator and forming a floor for its lower chamber, H, into which heat is radiated therefrom, thus converting said chamber into a dry-kiln for drying the feathers after theyare steamed.

' The pipe D is simply anotherordinarysteampipe for conveying the steam from the space 0 to the perforated pipes E E above the partition dividing the kiln-chamber from theupper or steaming chamber.

The pipes E E are steam-pipes, having fine perforations distributed throughout their entire length, through which the steam escapes in all directions into the feathers, which are placed upon and about them in the steamingchamber G.

Thesliding partition F is simply a floor or platform resting on slides f, which divides the apparatus into two chambers, G and H, one of which, G, serves asa steaming-chamber and the other, H, as a dry-kiln or chamber. When this partition is pulled out, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. at, the two chambers are thrown together, and the feathers in the upper chamber are precipitated into the lower upon the plate 0, which constitutes the top of the steam-space O, and also serves as the floor of said chamber.

The chamber G is simply a steaming-chamber for the feathers, which are introduced through the door I and rest upon and around the steam-pipes'E E, whichare preferably at or near the bottom of said chamber.

The chamber H, as before stated, is, in effect, a dry-kiln, into which the feathers are precipitated (after being sufficiently steamed) from the steaming-chamber G by simply pulling outthe sliding partition F, and wherein they are thoroughly dried by the heat from the steambox 0 and pipe D, after which they are removed through the door K. During the process of dryingaccess is had to this kiln for the purpose of properly stirring up the'feathers through the door J.

The operation of my invention may be briefly recapitulated as follows: The feathers to be renovated are placed in the chamber G, where they are subjected to a thorough steaming through the medium of the perforated steampipes E E, said feathers being occasionally stirred up by the operator to insure a thorough treatment. When thesefeathersaresufliciently steamed the sliding partition F is pulled out, precipitating them into the chamber H, where they are dried out by the heat from the steam chamber 0, the partition F being meanwhile replaced and another batch of feathers inserted in the chamber G, so that the steaming and drying processes may be proceeding simultaneously. By the time the first batch is dried the second will be steamed, so that the first may be removed, the second precipitated into the drying-chamber, and a third introduced into the steaming-chamber, thus keeping the apparatus continuously in use.

By the arrangement shown the same current of steam is utilized in steaming one batch of feathers that is used in drying another batch, which is of course a considerable saving over the process wherein two separate currents are used.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for renovating feathers,

consisting essentially of a steam-boiler, a feather-receptacle divided into two compartments by a removable diaphragm, a steamchamber forming one side of one compartment 6 of said receptacle, a steam-pipe leading from the boiler to said steam-chamber, another pipe leading from said chamber to the other compartment, where it connects with perforated tubes or pipes, and said pipes or tubes located inside said'compartment, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of two chambers, G H, separated by a removable partition, F, the removal of which precipitates the contents of one 4 o 

